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Abstract:
Purpose of the Review Weather and climate extremes substantially affect global- and regional-scale carbon (C) cycling,
and thus spatially or temporally extended climatic extreme events jeopardize terrestrial ecosystem carbon sequestration.
We illustrate the relevance of drought and/or heat events (BDHE^) for the carbon cycle and highlight underlying
concepts and complex impact mechanisms. We review recent results, discuss current research needs and emerging
research topics.
Recent Findings Our review covers topics critical to understanding, attributing and predicting the effects ofDHE on the terrestrial
carbon cycle: (1) ecophysiological impact mechanisms and mediating factors, (2) the role of timing, duration and dynamical
effects through which DHE impacts on regional-scale carbon cycling are either attenuated or enhanced, and (3) large-scale
atmospheric conditions under which DHE are likely to unfold and to affect the terrestrial carbon cycle. Recent research thus
shows the need to view these events in a broader spatial and temporal perspective that extends assessments beyond local and
concurrent C cycle impacts of DHE.
Summary Novel data streams, model (ensemble) simulations, and analyses allow to better understand carbon cycle impacts
not only in response to their proximate drivers (drought, heat, etc.) but also attributing them to underlying changes in
drivers and large-scale atmospheric conditions. These attribution-type analyses increasingly address and disentangle
various sequences or dynamical interactions of events and their impacts, including compensating or amplifying effects
on terrestrial carbon cycling.
